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Date: 11/21/2023
WILBRAHAM — The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee discussed capital projects for which the district may seek funding during its Nov. 16 meeting.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations and Human Resources Aaron Osborne said he was currently seeking estimates on a camera system upgrade for the district. He was exploring a hub-and-spoke model in which Minnechaug Regional High School’s cameras would be updated first, and other schools brought online thereafter. Osborne was specifically looking for a system that could work with the monitoring system used by the Police and Fire departments.
Continuing on the topic of security, School Committee member Bill Bontempi suggested the use of an adhesive film that can be applied to windows and doors and essentially turn standard glass into bulletproof glass. He said it would reinforce the entrances and without obscuring the transparency of the glass. He added that grants may be available to purchase the product.
While delivering a report from the Technology Subcommittee, Bontempi said the controller for the district’s wireless access points is no longer supported and many of the 140 access points are also past their prime. He suggested replacing the system as a whole, which Osborne estimated to cost $200,000. School Committee member Sean Kennedy noted that a backup controller was purchased through eBay. Although it is new and in its box, the controller is 10 years old.
School Committee member Richard Rediker, who works in the computer software technology field, said controllers and access points are at a low risk of failure and are usually only replaced when updated models are purchased. Bontempi countered that the district did not expect the lighting to fail, either. He was referring to an issue in which the lighting at Minnechaug could not be turned off for 18 months because of a software malfunction. The problem was resolved earlier this year.
Osborne commented that the access points should have been replaced four years ago.
Kennedy recalled that the Wilbraham Finance Committee had commented during the last talks over budget that “end of life” does not mean an item needs to be replaced. He said the committee is likely to face a similar mindset on this issue. School Committee member Michael Tirabassi cautioned the committee to be aware of the amount in capital expenses they were requesting from the towns.
“The more we kick those needs down the road, the more it will end up costing,” Bontempi remarked.
Osborne said the district was looking at state and federal contractors to provide used modulars for the district’s two most overcrowded schools, Wilbraham Middle School and Stony Hill School.
Superintendent John Provost explained that the modulars at Stony Hill School would be used for office space. He said there was enough room for students in the classrooms, but office staff were working out of closets. At Wilbraham Middle School, eight to 10 classrooms would be housed in the modulars.
Transportation
Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative Executive Director Alvin Morton answered questions before the School Committee regarding an ongoing bus driver shortage. He said the driver shortage was a national problem, but that it was particularly difficult to attract people to drive for LPVEC because, as an educational facility, the drivers are not eligible for unemployment. “They go two months without pay” in the summer, Morton said.
Morton said the $28 per hour plus benefits that the collaborative offers is competitive with other companies. LPVEC’s 252 drivers are paid hourly, however, Morton said the collaborative was considering making drivers salaried so their yearly pay can be stretched out to 12 months. To attract more drivers, LPVEC has spent $65,000 on advertising and is offering a referral bonus for existing drivers who refer new hires.
Kennedy asked if there was anything the district could do to help with the shortage. Morton told him about mothers with young children who had expressed interest in driving but did not have childcare available. Provost said that they would address childcare options with people who reach out to the district on a person-by-person basis. He commented that more preschool spots were opening, and general education peers were needed to attend alongside the special education students.